Even the few remaining optimists who believe the PC isn't dead have to admit the old boy is breathing heavy. Another Asian manufacturer, Asus, recently inked a deal with Google (GOOG +1.50%) to manufacture a Chromebook later this year.
Chromebooks haven't caught on as fast as Google would like. But then again, neither has Microsoft's (MSFT 2.17%) Windows 8 operating system, says Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova in the following video. At least one PC manufacturer, Acer, said Chromebooks accounted for between 5% and 10% of Q4 sales and that, as a product category, Windows 8 machines were "not successful" as of January.
Industry trends aren't the only factor here. According to trade magazine Computerworld, Asus saw a fivefold increase in Android tablet shipments in the first quarter. Only the clinically unconscious wouldn't make a move to build more devices for Google's zero-cost operating systems after seeing numbers like that.
Do you agree? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take, and then let us know if you've tried using a Chromebook, and if so, what you thought of it.
